think alouds and writing

Using the think aloud strategy in writing. Aha moment - modeling writing out loud. Tom Romano talks about the benefits of teachers modeling the writing process out loud. It reminded me of the think alouds that teachers use to improve student comprehension. Students can see that teachers do not start out with a polished finished product, and it demystefies the writing process. The draw back that I see is that writing is a different process than reading. Read out louds engage the reader, particularly if they can see the same text. Writing is more personal - it is your way of doing something. Do students benefit from watching and not doing?